Combined awning and storm shutter



Spt 24, W35. v F. o. GRAYsoN 2-535 COMBINED AWNING AND STORM SHUTTER' '4 Filed March 6, 1955 Patented Sept. 24, 1935 `UNITED STATES eA'rsNT orties COMBINED AWNING AND STORM SHUTTER Frank 0. Grayson, Coral Gables, Fla.

Application March 6, 1935, Serial No. 9,586

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to combined awnings and storm shutters, and more specifically to a shutter of this type which may be used at times as an awning and at other times as a 5. storm shutter, at which latter times the structure4 l highly advisable to provide houses and buildingsv with storm shutters, to protect the windows of such houses and buildings from damage during storms. This is particularly true in the southern portion of the United States, where tropical storms occur with more o-r less regularity. Combination awnings and storm shutters have been known heretofore, but all of such structures with which I am familiar are so applied to the buildings that it is possible for wind following. the walls of the buildings to get beneath the shutters and tear them from their fastenings. The predominant feature of this invention is that when the improved structure is used as a storm shutter it is disposed entirely within `the window 3() opening of the wall, and therefore wind following the wall cannot tear the structure loose from its fastenings or otherwise damage it.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, vertical section illustrating the improved combination awning and shutter in place at a window and showing the structure as it will appear when functioning as an awning.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig.- 1, but illustrating the combined awning and shutter in its closed condition as it will appear when serving as a storm shutter.

Fig. 3-is a front elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1. Y In the drawing, wherein is shown for the pur- V pose of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates the wall of a building wherein a window opening B is provided. Located within the opening B is a window structure C of ordinary construction, said .window Structure Vcomprising a window frame CEL and window sashes Cb. The window sashes Cb may be of the easement type, as shown in the drawing, or said sashes may be of any other known construction and arrangement. Secured at opposite sides of the window opening B is a pair of brackets I, each of these brackets being of substantially reverse L-shaped formation, as shown most clearly in Figs. l and 2. The vertically extended portion Ia' of each bracket I is xed in any suitable manner, as for 5 instance, by fastening means 2, to the building wall A, and the horizontal portion Ib of each bracket i is extended into the window opening B in contact with or in close proximity to the top wall o-f the window opening B. The horil0 Zonta] portion ib of each bracket is secured in place by suitable fastening means 3, which may secure said horizontal bracket portion to the window frame Ca, as illustrated in the drawing, or if preferred the fastening means 3 may se- 15 cure the horizontal portion of the brackets to the wall A at the top face of the window opening B. Y

Each bracket I is provided with an angular guideway 4, this guideway in the drawing being 20 illustrated as a slot, although, if desired, the guideway may be in the form of a channel. A portion of the guideway of each bracket extends longitudinally of the vertical portion of the bracket, and another connected portion of said 25 guideway extends longitudinally of the horizontal portion of the bracket. At the top of the vertical portion of the guideway d of each bracket said guideway communicates with a seat 5 (Fig. 2), and at the inner end of the horizontal 30 portion of the guideway of each bracket said guideway communicates with a similar seat 6.

The combined awning and storm shutter includes an awning and shutter element l, which is constructed of any suitable material, and lo- 35 cated at the upper end of this element 'i is a rod 8 which extends slightly beyond the opposite side edges of the element 'I. The rod is extended into the guideways of the oppositely disposed brackets I, and as aresult of this arrangement the 40 element 'i may be moved with respect tothe brackets I, during which movement the opposite end portions of the rod 8 will travel through the guideways Il. The element l has associated with it, preferably at its opposite sides, suitable 45 bracing means 9 which serves to maintain said element 'i in an outwardly extended and downwardly inclined position when the element 'i serves as an awning. The bracing means 9 comprise each a pair of members Se which are slid- 50 ably connected together, the innermost member Se of eachbracing means being pivotally attached to the window frame Cab at the point designated by the reference character I9, and the outermost member 9*1L of each bracing means being 55 sition within the window opening.

pivotally attached at II to the awning and shutter element 'I. The sliding conection between the associated pair of members of each bracing means is accomplished by providing each member at its inner end with a lug I2 which is provided with an opening through which the associated member extends for sliding movement. Each member of each bracing means is provided with notches I3 in which a portion of the lug of the associated member is seated for the purpose of locking the members of the bracing means in predetermined position, so as to lock the awning element in fully open and partially opened positions.

In the use of the improved combined awning and storni shutter disclosed herein, the rod 8 at the upper end of the element 'I may be located in the seats 5 at the upper ends of the guideways I formed in the oppositely disposed brackets I. The lower end of the element is then swung outwardly so as to arrange the element 'I in a downwardly and outwardly inclined position, as illustrated in Fig. l. When the element 'I is so positioned, the means 9 will maintain the element 'I in its extended position, the lugs I2 of the various members of the bracing means being seated in the notches I3 of associated members so as to lock said members against relative sliding movement, whereby the awning and shutter element 'I is maintained in its fully extended position. Ii desired,the means S may be so arranged that the element 'I may be disposed in a partially lowered position, as illustrated by dotted lines in f Fig. l, the lugs I2 of the various members of the ter, the lower end of the element 'I is swung inwardly. The element 'I is then raised slightly to free the means S thereof from the curved seats 5 at the upper ends of the guideways 4 of the brackets I. The element 'I may then be moved downwardly and moved inwardly into the window opening B, as shown in Fig. 2, the means 8 at the upper end of the element 'I traveling longitudinally through the vertical and horizontal portions of the guideways 4 of said brackets I. When the means 8 at the upper end of the element 'I reach the inner ends of the horizontal portions of the guideways 4, said means will enter the curved seats 5, whereby the upper end portion of the element 'I will be retained in its po- When the element 'I has been moved into the window opening B as described, suitable fastening devices I5 (Fig, 2) are introduced into place to secure the lower end of said element to the window frame Ca.

ter, the entire structure, with the exception of portions of the rigidly fastened brackets I, is located inwardly of the wall A, and therefore wind which follows the wall during a storm cannot do damage to the awning and shutter structure, and cannot tear said structure loose from its fastenings. When the element 'I is moved to its position within the window opening B, the associated members of the bracing means 9 are folded inside of the element I, and therefore the bracing means also are protected from damage by storm.

An important feature of the invention is that the combined awning and shutter element I may be readily introduced into place or removed therefrom by merely engaging or disengaging the means 3 from the guideways 4 of the elements I, 10 and attaching or detaching the bracing means to or from the element I. In order to quickly and easily detach the element "i from the brackets I, said brackets are provided with openings III- which communicate with the guideways formed in said brackets. To detach the element 7 from the brackets I, said element is moved to a position where the extended portions of the rod 8 are alined with said openings I fi, when said extended rod portions may be passed outwardly through said openings to free the element from the brackets I.

I claim:

l. In combination with a window disposed rearwardly of an opening forme-d in a wall of a building, a combined awning and shutter comprising an awning and shutter element, brackets to which the upper portion of said awning and shutter element is movably attached, said brackets being disposed partially outside and partially within the window opening and being adapted to support the upper end of said awning and shutter element a position outside of the window opening when said element serves as an awning and in a position within the window opening when said element functions as a shutter.

2. In combination with a window disposed rearwardly of an opening formed in a wall of a building, a combined awning and shutter comprising an awning and shutter element, brackets to which S the upper portion of said awning and shutter element is movably attached, said brackets being of angular formation and disposed partially outside and partially within the window opening and being adapted to support the upper end of said 45.'v awning and shutter element in a position outside of the window opening when said element serves as an awning and in a position within the window opening when said element functions as a shutter.

3. In combination with a window disposed rearwardly of an opening formed in a wall of a building, a combined awning and shutter comprising an awning and shutter element, brackets to which the upper portion of said awning and shutter element is movably attached, said brackets being of angular formation with a portion of each thereof fixed to the Wall of the building outside of the window opening and a portion secured within the opening, angular guideways formed 60. in said brackets, means carried by the upper portion of said awning and shutter element which are extended into said guideways of said brackets, means at the upper end of the guideway of each bracket whereby the awning and shutter element may be supported in a position outside of the window opening when said element serves as an awning, and means at the lower end of the guideway of each bracket for supporting the awning and shutter element in a position within the window opening when said element functions as a shutter.

4. In combination with a window disposed rearwardly of an opening formed in a wall of a building, a combined awning and shutter comprising an CFI awning and shutter element, brackets to which the upper portion of said awning and shutter element is movably attached, said brackets being of angular formation with a portion of each thereof fixed to the wall of the building outside of the window opening and a portion secured within the opening, angular guideways formed in said brackets, means carried by the upper portion of said awning and shutter element which are extended into said guideways of said brackets, means comprising a seat at the upper end of the guideway of each bracket whereby the awning and shutter element may be supported in a position outside of the window opening when said element serves as an awning, and means comprising a seat at the lower end of the guideway of each bracket for supporting the awning and shutter element in a position within the window Y opening when said element functions as a shutter.

5. In combination with a window disposed rearwardly of an opening formed in a wall of a building, a combined awning and shutter comprising an awning and shutter element, brackets to which the upper portion of said awning and shutter element is movably attached, said brackets being of angular formation with a portion of each thereof xed to the wall of; the building outside of the Window opening and a portion secured within the opening, angular guideways-formed in said-brackets, means carried by the upper portion of said awning and shutter element which are extended into said guideways of said brackets, means comp-rising a seat at the upper end of the guideway of each bracket whereby the awning and shutter element may be supported in a position outside o-f the window opening when said element serves as an awning, means comprising a seat at the lower end of the guideway of each bracket for supporting the awning and shutter element in a position within the window opening when said element functions as a shutter, and bracing means for maintaining said awning and shutter in raised positions when said element acts as an awning.

6. In combination with a window disposed rearwardly of an opening formed in a wall of a building, a combined awning and shutter comprising an awning and shutter element, brackets to which the upper portion of said awning and shutter element is movably attached, said brackets being of angular formation with a portion of each there- Y of fixed to the wall of the building outside of the window opening and a portion secured within the opening, angular guideways formed in said brackets, means carried by the upper portion of said awning and shutter element which are extended into said guideways of said brackets, means comprising a seat at the upper end of the guideway of each bracket whereby the awning and shutter element may be supported in a position outside of the window opening when said element serves as an awning, means comprising a seat at the lower end of the guideway of each bracket for supporting the awning and shutter element in a position Within the window opening when said element functions as a shutter, and bracing means comprising elements arranged for relative sliding movement for maintaining said awning and rshutter in raised positions when said element acts as an awning.

FRANK O. GRAYSON. 

